Hope Notes 12/8/11
Dear Friends of Hope~
The Christmas elves have visited us at Hope! I just love walking into church and seeing the auditorium transformed with all the beautiful Christmas decorations. That first glimpse is always the best; before we stop actually seeing it and begin to take it for granted. If we are brutally honest, I think we'd have to admit we do that with so many things. God showers us with a blessing and at first it's the most awesome thing and we tell everyone about it. Then, before you know it, that blessing seems like old hat and we forget how grateful and amazed we were to receive it. God grants us an answer to prayer that is exactly what we were hoping for; we tell everyone who will listen about how merciful our God is. Then, the wonder fades and we are left doubting that He is listening to our petitions. Let's make a concerted effort to take notice of not only the Christmas lights, but also everything God is doing for us, and not let it fade from something spectacular to something ordinary.
SUNDAY MESSAGE
What God Gave…
This Christmas season, we're going to take a look at why Christmas is the most festive holiday season of the year. There are no other holidays that are an entire season – some of them even sneak up on us and are almost overlooked! But Christmas is celebrated for several weeks (and for some, even longer than that!). As we zero in on the reason Christmas is so huge in our hearts, we want to go past the decorations, music, and presents, and get to the root of why this day is so precious. So let's take a few weeks and look at what God gave to the world (and to us) at Christmas!
12/11 – Christmas – Hope and Help (1 Peter 1:3, Romans 8:24-28)
What really happens without hope? There may have been one or two things in the course of history that happened by accident without anyone believing they could, but in real life, almost nothing ever happens without hope! Someone believes in what is possible, even though it hasn't shown up yet. Hope is a powerful gift – and one that God gave to us in Jesus at Christmas. We'll take a look at the idea of hope, and how it might be a little different than we might think. And we'll also see what drives our hope… the fact that God has also given us help! The fact is that there is no real hope without help from God. And in Jesus, God has offered us both!
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
December 18th
At last! We finally get to see our children put on the Christmas Program they've been working so hard on. This is a great Sunday to invite your friends and family out to Hope. Who doesn't love seeing all the adorable kids singing and proclaiming the Christmas message? It's a surefire way to warm your hearts and get you in the Christmas spirit!
MESSAGES AVAILABLE
Did you know that Sunday's worship service is available on CD immediately following the service for FREE? Pick up a copy for yourself or for anyone you would like to share Hope with. Pastor Mark's messages are also available on our website, www.hopechristianfellowship.org.
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER TIME
Our Sunday morning prayer time is open to everyone. We start at 9:15 am in one of the classrooms. We pray for the services that morning and for the needs in the church. If you would like to participate, just show up! Contact Jim Bradshaw at Prayer Team with any questions.
BIBLE READING FOR DECEMBER – PHILIPPIANS
Joy is the overriding theme of this book – joy in the blessings of God showered on His people. Yet joy has little to do with circumstances; when Paul wrote this book he was sitting in a Roman prison. Paul was a great example of living joyfully while enduring a harsh situation. His letter to the Philippians is affectionate, warm, and full of encouragement. Philippians proves that joy has nothing to do with our circumstances, but only with our commitment to the work of Christ.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY
7:00 – 8:15
You don't want to miss our study of 1Corinthians! The Christians at Corinth were like so many of us today – they knew Christ, but they still needed His cleansing! Gathering together midweek to dig into God's Word is key in staying connected to our church family and to our Lord. Childcare is provided.
Note: The adults will have Bible Study in the Youth Room on 12/14 so that our youngsters can practice in the auditorium for the Christmas Program.
WEDNESDAY EVENING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
Our Children's Program runs at the same time as Bible study. We currently offer classes for 2-3 year olds, 4-5 year olds, and 1st thru 5th graders.
YOUNG ADULTS
Meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month at 7:30 in the Youth Room at church. Anyone who has graduated high school up to their early thirties is welcome. We now have childcare available. We have a schedule so that everyone can volunteer to take a week and keep the childcare going. See Pastor Mark or Dana for more information.
WOMEN'S PRAYER GROUP
Meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Prayer Room at church. All women are invited to attend.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR FELLOWSHIP
MEN'S BREAKFAST – THIS SATURDAY
Saturday, December 10, 8:30am-10:30
Food, good talk, and no women or children! If that sounds awesome--don't admit it out loud--then come out for our Men's Breakfast! Nothing fancy - no quiche or lattes, just a brief teaching/devotional and a chance for the men of Hope to get together for fellowship and to pray for each other and our families. Please email Bob Rice (riceiii@verizon.net) if you are planning to attend so that we can plan for food. Feel free to invite friends and family members.
YOUNG ADULTS CHRISTMAS CAROLING
December 19th at 7:00
We will meet at the church for some Christmas caroling and then gather together for our Christmas party! You do not want to miss this!
CHRISTMAS CAFÉ
Wednesday December 21st
We will be holding our annual Christmas Café in place of Bible Study this Wednesday. It's a great way to get in the spirit of Christmas – we set up the round tables, sit with each other and enjoy some delicious holiday treats. Entertainment is graciously provided by different members of our very own Hope family! Be sure to sign up if you would like to share your talents. See Kim Biglin with any questions.
SMALL GROUPS
Small Group study sheets are in the back of the auditorium, or you can print a copy right from our website! At Small Groups, we'll take a look at how the Bible emphasizes God's plan for us to grow and be healthy through relationships within our spiritual family. Anyone still looking for a Small Group to plug into can see Damon Briggs; he will help you get connected!
Please Note: Our Small Groups will be on hiatus during the Christmas season, so we will not be putting any new study sheets out. Feel free to meet and celebrate the holidays with your group if you so desire!
YOUTH NEWS
YOUTH GROUP
Wednesdays from 7:00 – 8:30
This is a great mid-week boost for our teens to stay connected, grow in the Lord, and have a fun time with each other! See Dave Hallahan with any questions.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
GIVING UPDATE
We averaged $4193 in the month of November, which is more than our weekly giving target of $4000. This brings our annual average giving to $4291. Please pray with us that the Lord will enable us to finish the year strong in giving, and that we will be able to take a step forward next year in our giving for the call God has placed on Hope!
FREE COLOR TELEVISION
Free 32" color tv in perfect working order available for someone in need. It's not a flat panel and will require two strong people to move it. Also available is a 46" color tv (not flat panel) in perfect working order. Appliance hand cart is available to help with the move. Anyone interested can contact Denise Tigner attigner12@verizon.net or call 866-848-6025.
DIRECTORY PICTURES
Make sure you come to church looking extra "nice" and get your picture taken for the latest edition of our Church Directory. We are blessed to have many new faces, and it will be a real help to be able to look people up and put a face to the name! You can take a minute before or after worship and have your photo taken.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Please take note that there will be no Christmas Eve service this year. With Christmas falling on a Sunday, it's just logistically too difficult to do a service like that on Saturday evening followed by another service on Christmas morning. We'll simply have one very special service on Sunday morning!
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
Wednesday, January 4th at 7:00pm
We will be having our annual business meeting in place of Bible Study. All partners are strongly encouraged to come and vote for our Leadership/Elder and Deacon candidates. Anyone interested in finding out more about where we've been as a church in 2011 and where God is taking us in 2012 is also encouraged to come. Although being a church is a spiritual thing, we also have business to take care of and this is when we do it!
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM SECTION
PHOTOS NEEDED!!
This Sunday, 12/11 is our deadline for getting photos of your loved ones to Melissa McGinness. We are hoping to make a pictorial slideshow to be used in our Kid's Program next week and we'd love to include family or friends who have passed away, but have left a godly legacy to you or your children. Please see Melissa on Sunday and either bring in hard copies of your loved one or email digital pics to her at MELISSAMCGINNESS007@comcast.net.
UPCOMING PRACTICE SCHEDULE
December 14th – Elementary program practice in auditorium on Wednesday night. (Adult Bible study in Youth Room)
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARENTS
Sunday December 18
Next Sunday is our Kid's Christmas Program!! Parents of Toddlers and Pre-school children please have your children here next week at 9:00am. You can take them directly to their regular classes. Kara (with her helpers) will be gathering them to get a "sound check" on the big stage one more time before the service starts. Parents of 1st-6th graders should plan to arrive no later than 9:30am. That class will be meeting in the Youth Room to warm up on a song or two and then get ready to go! Thanks for your help in being on time for this special day!"
OPPORTUNITES TO SERVE
Do you want to truly feel like you are a vital and connected part of Hope? Then find a place where you can serve! Here are some ideas!
GREETERS
Can you shake a hand and smile in the mornings? Then come on and join our Greeters Ministry! This is a fun and easy way to get to know the folks of Hope as well as meet newcomers to our church and make them feel at home. We usually have teams of four who serve a month of Sundays at a time, spaced throughout the year. If you are interested in helping, please contact Bill Berry at billandkathyberry@comcast.net or Lois Hartwell at foolsforchrist7@yahoo.com. Please let us know as soon as possible since we are in the process of making next year's schedule.
CHILDCARE HELPERS FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Our Young Adults meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month. Those who have small children are often unable attend. Come be a blessing to these couples and this ministry – volunteer to take a turn in the Nursery! Let Pastor Mark or Dana know if you can help.
WEDNESDAY EVENING CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
We are looking for people who are passionate about children to help us staff our Wednesday night kids program for the upcoming semester (January - April). We need a teacher and helper for the 2-3 year olds, and for the 4-5 year old classes. We also need someone to coordinate our volunteer nursery on Wednesday nights. Contact Jen Winstel at jenwinrn@comcast.net or Pastor Mark to volunteer.
VBS PROGRAM 2012 MEETING
January 8
We are excited that so many people showed an interest in coordinating VBS at our first meeting! We will have another meeting immediately following the morning service January 8th.
MEALS MINISTRY
Needs Team is updating the Rotating Meals Ministry list. We could use some other willing hearts to prepare the occasional meal for a family during a time of need. Anyone who would like to be added to this list please see Lorraine Otis or contact her atlorraineotis@comcast.net
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Want to help us with the most effective and powerful ministry at Hope? Join in as part of our Kid's Ministry! Here's what to do:
Nursery
Contact Brian or Naidona Ott
856-589-2047 or ottbriant@netscape.net
Toddlers & Preschool
Contact Franne Harkin
609-458-2124 or fhark7@yahoo.com
Elementary
Contact Anita Little
856-783-7168 or alittleshopper@gmail.com
Wednesday Night Program
Contact Jen Winstel
856-782-7798 or jenwinrn@comcast.net
SOUND AND MEDIA TEAM
Our Sound and Media Team can always use more helpers. Don't be scared; they will train you! Contact Steve Jones for sound at jones.stephen.d@gmail.com or Jim Bradshaw at spaceheadjim@yahoo.com for media.
Just pick where you would be most interested in helping and give that person a call. They will fill you in on the current needs and tell you whatever you need to know!
THIS WEEK'S WORKERS
Nursery - Nicole Bablie & Mallory Pantaleo
Toddlers TBA
Pre K – Kindergarten Linda Landis & Linda Ellison
1st – 5th Christmas Program Practice
Counters Carole Baumiester & Kathy Berry
Greeters Rick Mounce
Judy Gotshall
Katrina Mariani
Rick Ayusa
Wed. Evening Lorraine Otis
HOPES PRAYER TEAM
If you have a prayer request, please fill out a prayer request card and drop it in the offering slot at the back of the church on Sunday or use the "Prayer Request Form" on our website. If you have any questions or would like to join the Prayer Team, please contact Jim Bradshaw directly at Prayer@hopechristianfellowship.org.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Joy Phillips – (Our missionary in Africa, and her sister Linda) For safety and God's protection as they endure the hardships of the Sudan while sharing God's love with the Sudanese December 10-17.
Youth Pastor – Please pray for our new Youth Pastor, Dave Hallahan, as he beings the task of ministering to our teens, planning programs for them, and moving forward with God's call on his life here at Hope.
Kids Ministry Director. Please pray for God to connect us with the right people at the right time and let Him have His work in all of this!
Young Adults – Please pray that God would give the young adults here at Hope a heart for our new ministry so that they can grow in the Lord and forge closer relationships with each other.
Awaiting Our King,
Lois
Note: If you do not wish to continue receiving Hope Notes, simply reply to this email and I will remove your name from the list. Any correspondence for Hope Notes goes to Hopenotes Email.
posted by Hope Christian Fellowship at
6:32 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home